With the Christmas season firmly approaching many of Kent shops are cutting their prices, but how much are Kent shoppers buying into the deals?
Category
š
NewsTranscript
00:00The end of November is fast approaching which means two things for Kent's high streets.
00:05The Christmas decorations are up and the Black Friday deals are on.
00:09What started as a Thanksgiving tradition over in America has become so normal that many
00:13Kent shoppers don't even turn their heads to see the big black signs.
00:17But it doesn't necessarily mean that sales are down.
00:22From gadgets to garments, Black Friday deals are dominating the high streets nowadays.
00:27Every inch of these shop fronts seem to be splattered with the phrase, but it doesn't
00:31come without some cyber competition.
00:33Since 2020, online retailers have steadily overtaken brick and mortar stores, yet statistics
00:39show that Black Friday is still alive and well, with Brits expected to spend an eye-watering
00:44Ā£9.1 billion this weekend alone.
00:48Here in Maidstone though, some businesses say the challenge is keeping people on the
00:51high street.
00:52I think some people think about it like Amazon because they're plugging it all the time.
00:56I think they're more likely to do something like that.
00:59We will do a 10% off for Black Friday because basically everyone's jumping on the bandwagon,
01:04but I don't think it's going to make a lot of difference to trade if I'm totally honest.
01:07Personally, I don't think things are going to pick up or I think it's going to be a more
01:10silver Christmas for us than a gold Christmas because gold is at its highest premium ever.
01:16But if people can't afford it, such is life and you have to cut your cloth, so hey ho.
01:23As for those businesses which have taken full advantage of the Black Friday trend,
01:27it's thought that the market feels a little overcrowded.
01:30I think it sort of marks the start of that more sort of frenzied period where people
01:38who maybe leave it to the last minute, they maybe wait for that Black Friday moment.
01:42Maybe people out there at the moment are looking for more of a bargain and a deal than previous
01:47years and don't find that now.
01:49They seem to come out even earlier.
01:52It used to be one day and now sometimes it's like Black Friday month.
01:58Back on the streets, it seems the pre-December discounts are dividing people.
02:02Just because they tell you it's a bargain doesn't mean to say it is a bargain.
02:06You know roughly what you want to spend on people and if it's within your range then
02:11that's fine.
02:13There's not so much the choice here that I'd like, so there's far greater choice on the
02:18internet.
02:21I mean I've just done it because I've just been sucked into it, whether or not it really
02:26is a good deal or not.
02:28So whether it's the convenience of a click or the charm of a high street stroll, one
02:32thing's clear, Black Friday is still making its mark here in Kent.
02:37Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.